Do Not Feed the Beast
by Courage of Awesome
Summary: This is an AU. Not my Isle of Shifters spin off. Short Story. Cremia's and Romani's father had only just passed away four months ago. To take their minds off of it, they decide to attend the Carnival of Time. However, will a special attraction there steal the show? Just remember, kids, please, do not feed the beast. Warning: Gore & Suggestive Themes. Will not be updated frequently.
1. Chapter 1

**This a Fierce Deity x Cremia three-shot. However, it is not the story that ties into my Isle of Shifters story. Sorry.**

 **This popped into my head late one night and it kept multiplying with my inspiration bunny, so here it is. This is an AU.**

 **I DO own Zelda. (Looks to lawyers) What? You mean, I really don't? Oh. Well, that's disappointing. (Looks back) Turns out I don't own Zelda… yeah, that's depressing.**

 **Enjoy this strange story!**

* * *

Today was the first day of Termina's annual carnival! It would last for three days and three nights, displaying exotic things from all over the world! Romani couldn't wait. After all, she was finally being allowed to attend!

Romani's older sister, Cremia, said that if she finished all of her chores before the carnival, they would go. Of course, they would have gone even if Romani hadn't finished her chores. But Cremia decided that Romani didn't necessarily need to know that.

It had been about four months since the passing of the girls' father. It was sudden and unexpected, their father not having any illnesses, and his passing left the girls all alone to attend their ranch. It had been hard on both of them, and to give Romani a well-deserved break, Cremia decided they would attend this year's carnival. She didn't particularly want to attend herself as they were very poor at the moment, but they had always been poor and they had managed fine before, so they'd do it again. Besides, this year was supposed to be special.

Besides the normal booths, a group of traveling carnies would be participating in this year's festivities. They were famous for their exotic animals, daring performers, and enchanting magic. It was all a bunch of malarkey to Cremia. She didn't believe in all that for a second. She was too practical for that.

 _They probably drug their audience,_ she figured. With a sigh, the young redheaded girl hefted the bucket of cow's milk and made her way to the barn to store it, trying to not let it slosh around as she went. This milk was this ranch's legacy. This milk made the world famous Chateau Romani; however, even with the wealth it brought, it took a lot to keep running the ranch, so they barely broke even. _Maybe I can sell some Chateau Romani at the carnival. I could bring in a tidy profit and earn us a little elbow room._

"Cremia!" Romani yelled from the barn. "Hurry up already! That's the last bucket! We can go once you get up here!"

Cremia gazed up at her little sister, the spitting image of her younger self. Big blue eyes and long red hair, almost the color of blood. She huffed, blowing her bangs from her face. "Patience is a virtue, Romani. Besides, if someone were to help me, we'd already be at the carnival."

Romani waved off Cremia's words. "You said that Romani had to finish _her_ chores, and Romani did, so hurry up!"

With a slight chuckle, the older sister quickened her pace if only to appease the younger. She supposed she could go a little faster if only to get the carnival over and done with. The sooner it was over, the sooner she could get back to trying to provide for her sister and herself. "Okay, okay."

Romani bounced up and down excitedly, her tiny hands balled into fists that clenched her mud-stained dress. The little girl had no idea just how filthy and rundown she looked. Even if she did, she wouldn't have cared anyway. She just wanted to hurry to town before the carnival started. She wanted to see it all.

"Why don't you go freshen up and change into some clean clothes while I store the rest of the milk. I'll be up in a minute to do the same. We do smell kind of ripe, after all," Cremia suggested. She was surprised when her younger sister nodded vigorously and ran off to do just that. Cremia giggled as she watched Romani's retreating figure. "She's a handful. That's for sure… How did papa do it?"

Just then, a loud crash reverberated through the air. Cremia set down the bucket of milk to look out towards the northeast. "That sounded like it came from town," she noted, a look of worry in her eyes. "I hope everything is all right."

* * *

"The Beast," as he was called, paced back and forth in his cage, monitoring the humans around him with the eyes of a predator. He watched as they worked, sweat rolling down their backs, giving them a putrid smell. These humans were disgusting, he decided.

Examining his claws, "the Beast" craved a time when he could rip through the humans that captured him so long ago. To be able to claw through the humans like butter, that is what he wished. They would pay with their blood for capturing him. He grinned madly.

The bars of his cage suddenly started to ring, and he looked up only to see that one of the humans had kicked them. "What're you so smug about, you filthy demon?" the human asked, the scent of whiskey on his breath. "You thinkin' of escap'n?! Huh?!"

Of course, "the Beast" didn't answer. He couldn't answer… not that he would anyway. With a terrifying roar, "the Beast" leapt for the human, slicing him with his claws through the bars. The human howled with pain as his flesh was torn from his body. "The Beast" could only smirk as warm blood trickled down his forearm. His satisfaction, however, didn't last long. It was now his turn to howl out as the collar around his neck sent jolt after painful jolt coursing through his body. His flesh burned and sizzled.

"That'll teach ya! Damn beast!" another human swore, tending to his comrade.

As the pain faded away, the collar through with its torture, "the Beast" panted hard, trying to regain his breath. He could literally smell his burned flesh and feel as it boiled and festered. It would heal, but even his body wouldn't be able to fully rid itself of the scar. Glaring up at the humans with icy blue—almost white—eyes, he growled, baring his fangs. The humans would pay… oh, yes, would they pay!

* * *

"I can't believe you brought work with us!"

Cremia groaned at her sister's stubbornness. "Romani, we still have a lease on a booth here. We might as well use it to make some spending money. Don't you want to be able to afford some things?"

Romani stepped off the cart, hanging her head. "Yes," she mumbled. "I understand."

"That's my girl," Cremia smiled, unloading crate after crate of Chateau Romani. "Besides this could be good for the ranch. We might get a few investors and some new customers." She looked towards her younger sister and noticed the sad look on her face. Cremia sighed. "Tell you what, Romani. I'll stay and man the booth," she said, digging into her pockets and handing her sister about twenty rupees. "So how about you go have some fun? Just make sure you try to advertise us as you go."

The girl's frown turned into a wide smile as her eyes lit up with happiness. She flung herself into Cremia's arms, nuzzling her sister's tummy. "Thank you, thank you! Thank you so much!" Romani jumped away and began running towards the petting zoo. "Yahoo!" she yelled, turning around to wave to her sister. Cremia waved back and watched as Romani disappeared from sight.

"Now, maybe I can get some work done. These crates won't unload themselves, after all." She returned to the cart to finish unloading the last of the crates before sitting down at her booth to take a break. Cremia began to people watch.

 _There are already so many people here,_ she observed. _And the Carnival of Time only just started!_ Looking over to a couple, she smiled. It was Anju and Kafei, her two greatest friends. "Hi, you two!" she shouted, waving from behind her booth.

Her friends smiled and quickly met up with her. "Cremia! You made it!" Anju exclaimed happily. "I'm so glad!"

"Me too," Kafei agreed, brushing his violet bangs away from his crimson eyes.

Cremia shrugged absentmindedly, moving things around to make the booth look nice. "Well, I was only going to come on the last day, but I thought Romani could use a little fun. She took papa's passing hard." She shook her head, clearing her mind of these thoughts. "Enough of that. You two are getting married in two days! I'm so excited!"

Anju laughed, her burgundy hair bouncing with each intake of breath. "You almost seem more excited than me, and I'm the bride!"

"What can I say? I'm just so happy for you two!"

Kafei bowed to her formally. "Thank you for being there for us."

She waved him off, making him stand before giving both of them a hug. "Please, don't be so formal. We've known each other for years now. And as for the wedding, I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

* * *

"Winner!"

Romani jumped up and down, clutching a small bow. "Yay! Romani did it! What did Romani win!"

The Shooting Gallery booth's owner threw his head back and bellowed out a laugh. "You, Romani, have won a free fortune at the booth just down the way! Where did you learn to shoot like that anyway, kid?"

The little girl beamed. "Romani's papa taught me! He was really good at shooting targets too!" Romani grew solemn. "Do you think Romani's papa is proud, mister?"

The man's smile faded as he looked to the redheaded girl. He couldn't help but notice how her once joyful attitude had faded into sadness. What had happened to the excited girl from before. The man sighed, reaching over the counter to ruffle Romani's hair. "Of course, he is, kid. I couldn't imagine a prouder parent." The man suddenly got an idea. "Tell you what, why don't you keep that bow as a gift from me to you."

Romani's smile returned. "Really?!" she asked, excited once again. The man nodded. "Yay! Thank you, thank you, mister!"

"It's no problem, kid. Oh, right!" He reached behind the counter and handed Romani a slip of paper. "Go down the road there until you come to the purple tent. Give this to the person out front and then you can get your free fortune."

Nodding, Romani gave the man a quick goodbye before scurrying out the door and down the road. She looked at the small slip of paper in her hand, her new bow strung across her back. "Astrid's Tent of Fortune and Fascination," she read. "What's fascination mean?" Shrugging it off, Romani continued on her way, arriving at said tent. "This must be it!"

In front of the purple tent, guarding the entrance was a man in a red knit cap. "Do you have some business with Ms. Astrid," he asked Romani kindly as she approached.

Romani nodded frantically, unable to stop staring at the single tooth that hung over the young man's bottom lip. _How did it get like that?_ she wondered, handing him to paper in her hands.

The young man took it and smiled. "Right this way, little one. My name is Kayo and Ms. Astrid will see you shortly," he said, leading Romani into a dark room. He pulled out a cushy chair and motioned for her to take a seat in it. "She'll only be a moment," Kayo continued, heading back outside.

Taking the time to look around the dark room, Romani caught glimpses of beads and chimes glinting in the faint light. Bouts of color seemed to explode around the room suddenly before quickly fading. It was almost like they had never been there at all. What really drew her attention, however, was the large crystal ball on its satin cushion. It seemed to sparkle and shine, millions of colors swimming within.

The sounds of clicking heels drew Romani's attention away from the ball to the back of the tent where a woman approached. Her hair was an even darker red than her own and her face was covered by a blue veil, but Romani could tell this woman was very beautiful and kind. "Hello, Romani," the woman greeted. "I am Astrid."

Romani gaped. "How did you know Romani's name?!" she questioned, amazed.

Astrid gave off a light laugh. "I foresaw it. I foresaw your coming here."

"Foresaw?"

"Yes," Astrid nodded. "I saw into the future and predicted that you would come here. Now, shall we begin?" Taking a seat on the other side of the crystal ball, the mysterious woman took a deep breath. She lifted her arms and placed her hands on either side of the crystal ball before chanting in a language unknown to Romani. The crystals, chimes, and beads began to shake and rattle as the crystal ball started to glow. A low humming could be heard as Astrid's chanting grew. And when everything seemed to calm down, a bright light shot forth from the crystal ball. "I see it!" Astrid shouted.

Romani trembled lightly in her seat as the woman across from her breathed out. "S-See what?" she dared to ask.

"I see a strange being. He is in pain and needs to be healed. His fate is intertwined tightly with your sister's. You'll will be meeting him very soon." Astrid stood to walk over to a small cabinet only to return moments later with a small vile in her hands. "This will serve you well in the future," she said, handing the vile to Romani. "Don't lose it. Oh, and take this as well." Astrid reached into a bookshelf and then handed a small book to the girl. "It will explain much. Now, remember, Romani, you have to look deep into people to see what they are really like. You can't judge someone from just their outward appearance. And with those parting words, you must be of lest you worry your sister any longer."

Romani was shooed out of the tent and she watched as the flap close before her. "Okay, then. What did she mean by looking into people?" Turning to look at a random person, Romani strained her eyes, trying to "look" into him. What was she looking for? With a shrug, the girl was once again on her way.

* * *

"The Beast" watched with little interest as the humans worked furiously to set up what they called the "stage." They seemed to be almost frantic. It must have been getting close to show time. That gave him time to himself since the humans were adamant about leaving him alone right before a show.

Yawning, "the Beast" lay himself down on the cold floor of his cage, more concerned with getting sleep than paying much more attention to the human workers. His earlier thoughts were confirmed when he began to smell a gathering of humans outside the tent. There was a lot more of them, it seemed.

Suddenly, "the Beast" shot up from his spot on the floor and inhaled deeply, a magnificent fragrant coming to him. It smelled absolutely delectable and whatever it was, it made his mouth water. What he wouldn't give to find the source of the scent. If only he wasn't stuck in this damnable cage. But wait! The smell seemed to be getting closer and closer and closer still!

"The Beast" licked his lips gleefully with his long tongue. He could practically taste the source of the scent. Oh, yes, it wouldn't be long now. Soon.

* * *

Cremia searched frantically through the throngs of people for her sister. Twenty rupees didn't last long in the hands of an eleven year old, so how com she wasn't back yet? Catching sight of a small redhead in the crowd, Cremia began fighting her way through people to reach it. "Romani!"

Said girl turned, smiling at her sister's approach. "Cremia! Look what Romani won!" she smiled, showing off her new bow. "Romani also got a free fortune. The fortune teller, Astrid said some weird things, but then she gave me these." She hefted the objects in her arms higher up so they wouldn't fall. Romani suddenly remembered something Astrid had told her. "The fortune teller said we would be meeting someone new soon."

Cremia raised an eyebrow at the cryptic message as she listened to her younger sister's ramblings. _What is she talking about?_ she wondered. _When would I even have the time to meet someone new?_ Cremia silenced Romani with a pat to the head. "You'll have to tell me the rest later, Romani. We're supposed to be meeting Anju and Kafei at the large tent to the east of town."

"Yay!"

Smiling, Cremia grabbed her sister's hand and pulled her along. The gigantic carnie tent was set up in between the Southern Swamp trail and the Ikana Valley trail. It was the only area big enough to house such an enormous thing.

Despite her earlier lack of enthusiasm, Cremia felt herself grow excited the closer she got to the carnie tent. What would she see? Would it truly be as amazing as advertised?

As the two met up with Kafei and Anju, they were all quickly ushered into the tent and then into the stands by a passing carnie. "Blocking traffic," he had said. So as the four took their seats, literally on the edge of them, they waited for the show to begin.

Finally after minutes of waiting, the main lights finally died down and a spotlight shown down into the center of the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen and children of all ages!" a voice shouted. "Thank you for inviting us to your carnival! We are pleased to be here!" A man dressed in a colorful suit, a top hat on his head, appeared. "We welcome you to the Land of Enchantment! Maybe you be astounded and amazed!"

Applause and cheers erupted all throughout the tent as the man left only to be taken the place of by two performers; acrobats. A man and a woman, both dressed in dazzling outfits, climbed up two tall pillars to face the trapeze. They leapt, the bars in their hands, and flew through the air.

Multiple acts much like this, all filled with spectacular splendor, commenced, and Cremia found herself to be enjoying the show so far. She only became skeptical of the carnies' as the animal acts began. Being an animal lover herself, she only wanted what was best for the animals. And who knew how these magnificent creatures were treated behind closed curtains.

Act after act ensued, ranging from daring sword fights to oddities such as bearded ladies to men and women who could shape their bodies into the strangest forms. It truly was a sight. But the show was now drawing to a close and only one act remained unseen.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and children. We have only one act left, it seems. Now this act is fairly new and has only been done a handful of times. It is extremely dangerous, and I ask that of those faint of heart please leave the tent. Thank you," the ring master warned. His cautious face swiftly contorted to one of excitement. "Now, then. I'd like to inform you, the audience, of our next act as we bring it out." The ring master motioned with his arm to a group of men off to the side. A large cage was brought out into the arena, covered with a sheet. "What you're about to see cannot be seen anywhere else as there is only one in existence as far as we know. In fact, the thing inside that cage was caught not far from here only months prior."

The cage behind the announcer suddenly rocked, a loud snarl coming from behind the sheet. The sound seemed to excite the crowd more, but it only set Cremia on edge. Just what could be behind that sheet that was ferocious enough to make a sound like that? Why did it make her heart pound mightily in her chest?

The ring master smirked at the crowd's reaction to the terrible sound. He reached back and clutched the sheet with his one of his hands. "The creature behind this sheet is neither man nor animal, but a fallen demon god of old, long since forgotten by history. He is a savage and he is mindless. Now, before I reveal him to you, I ask you, the audience, do not feed 'the Beast.'"

The sheet was ripped away from the cage as the ring master fled the scene and all grew silent. Cremia froze as her baby blues met an icy gaze. Inside the cage was a man! Long, dirty white hair cascaded down from his head, covering what his loincloth did not. Crimson and blue markings seemed to be etched into his arms and face. He was absolutely stunning and terrifying.

Suddenly, somebody screamed and all was thrown into chaos.

The man in the cage howled like an animal, revealing sharp and deadly fangs, before turning wild. He gripped on the bars of the cage with claw tipped hands and pulled with all his might, the bars groaning under the force. He growled as he realized that the bars would not give way.

The crowd panicked and was sent into a frenzy as they scrambled to escape, knocking over any and all who got in the way. Cremia herself was knocked to the ground, her head hitting a stone hard. Her vision blurred and lights seemed to explode behind her retinas as she tried to pick herself up. She hissed in pain as her hand was stepped on my an especially tall and pointy heel, but it didn't matter. Where was Romani?!

"R-Romani!" she shouted over the roar of the panicking crowd. "Romani! Where are you?!"

"Cremia!" her sister called back.

Spotting the little girl huddled underneath the stands, Cremia crawled on her hands and knees to reach her. Just as she was within an arm's reach, a loud shattering sound resounded about the area and someone landed in front of her, blocking off the route to Romani. Cremia looked up and found herself staring into the face of "the Beast."

* * *

It was here.

He could smell it.

Whatever it was, it was here.

The cage he dwelled in was suddenly picked up and brought somewhere, though he couldn't tell where thanks to the sheet obscuring his vision. He could hear the lead human drone on and on, though. He paid little attention to what was said. The only thing he could focus on was that scent.

"The Beast" snarled in frustration when he couldn't pinpoint its exact location and slammed himself into the side of his cage. He could hear the excited murmurs of on looking humans. The shrill shrieks pounded against his eardrums.

The sheet was rapidly ripped away from the cage, and "the Beast" was met with harsh light. As his eyes cleared, they locked on with another. He inhaled deeply and was overcome with the scent from earlier. It was coming from the human female he was focused on. She was beautiful. Her hair was the color of blood and her eyes were bluer than the sky. The female's skin looked to have been kissed by the sun, and she was strong. "The Beast" could clearly see the firm muscles packed discretely in her arms. When was the last time he had seen something so lovely?

A scream suddenly ripped through the air, making his ears ring. "The Beast" was forced to covered his long and pointed ears, if only to dull the sound slightly. The on looking humans were sent into a panic and they all scattered like frightened prey; all except the one female. She was different, and "the Beast" found himself wanting to get closer to her. He would decide her fate she was in his grasp.

Pulling on the bars of his cage, "the Beast" growled as he realized they would not budge. They merely creaked and groaned in protest; however, the act of his attempt at escape sent the humans into further panic. "The Beast" watched as the human female was knocked to the ground, her head hitting hard stone, and for some reason, it made him angry.

Turning away from the human female, he began to pull on the bars again, eager to escape and make his way to her. He only stopped as one of his captors approached. "Stop!" the human commanded. He removed a whip from his belt and snapped it, lashing out at "the Beast." However, it only took one hit for "the Beast" to become enraged.

As the whip flew at him again, he lifted his arm and caught the torturing device as it wrapped around his wrist. He smirked as the human male began to beg. "P-Please, don't hu-hurt me!" he cried, not realizing that he could simply drop the whip. His body had already been overcome by paralyzing fear and he couldn't move. With a hard yank, "the Beast" pulled the human to him and plunged his clawed hand through the bars and into the man's chest, stopping at his elbow. The man cried out in agony, blood welling up from his mouth, as he felt his heart being squeezed by the demon god before him. He lived long enough to see the demon grin madly as his beating organ was crushed.

Casting the now dead human to the side, "the Beast" took the whip and tied it to the door of the cage. He then laced the whip around the bars across from the door and began to pull, using the whip like a pulley. The change in the force was just enough for the door to be pulled off of its hinges, crashing to the ground. He was free!

Stepping out of the cage, "the Beast" began to look around for the human female he had locked eyes with. He spotted her crawling on her hands and knees to a smaller replica of herself. Kin. They were similar in base scents, as well.

Leaping towards them, the female was intercepted, her path blocked. She gazed upwards, her eyes once again locking with his. "The Beast" could hear her heart rate increase slightly, but still, she did not show fear.

He would take her.

Reaching down, "the Beast" wrapped a strong arm around the female's slim torso before looking down at her kin. It only took another second for him to decide and reach down for her too. With both females in his arms, he hoisted them both over his shoulders and took off with great speed.

At long last, he was free!

* * *

He had been running for nearly two hours now. He didn't know where he was going, although he was sure he was near the sea due to all the sand, but he knew he just had to go if he wanted to stay free. So "the Beast" ignored the protesting voices of the females he had obtained, but if it continued on for much longer, he was sure he would go insane.

Making a split second decision, "the Beast" changed his course slightly and diverted towards some rocky crags. He bounded up the sides of the cliffs before happening upon a fissure. It would work as place to rest and it easily fit four to five people. He and the females would be safe here, and more importantly, they couldn't escape without falling down a steep cliff face.

Depositing them into the cave, "the Beast" pointed at them and grunted, meaning for them to stay. The older female looked up at him indifferently as the younger cowered, burying herself into her kin's bosom. They were both younger than he had initially thought. The oldest couldn't have been more than seventeen summers, and the whelp still smelled like a young adolescent, so a child.

Looking away from the two females, he gazed out of the cave. He could easily see the sea from here. He would catch food there. Turning back, "the Beast" motioned for the two to stay one last time before darting away.

* * *

 _What does he want from us?!_ Cremia screamed internally. _Why did he take us?! What is he?!_ She looked down to Romani who still hiding her face in her blouse. The girl looked terrified. Cremia took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. _I have to remain calm. For Romani._

Looking out of the cave's opening, Cremia sighed. The strange creature had left nearly twenty minutes ago. It was obvious that some intelligence was held from the way the creature interacted. _Where could he have gone?_ she wondered.

Her answer came when said creature leapt up into the cave, landing gracefully before her. Cremia could feel herself salivate at the sight of fish skewered on sticks in "the Beast's" hands. Her eyes widened as the creature tossed two to her. Did he expect them to eat the fish raw. _Yes,_ Cremia concluded as she watched the creature delve into the fish, tearing scales away with sharp fangs and feasting upon the raw flesh.

When "the Beast" realized the two females had yet to start feasting, he grunted and motioned to the fish. The older female smiled sheepishly at him. "W-We can't eat it raw," she said timidly. "It has to be cooked… over a flame."

Cremia gently pushed her younger sister off of her before making her way to the back of the fissure, gathering up dead twigs from the plants that had grown through the cracks. She returned with an armful and laid them in a pile. "If only I had some flint," she sighed, looking away.

As she moved to return to her previous spot, Cremia heard a strange sound; crackling. She turned to find the source of the noise and gasped at the sight of some sort of ball of light forming in the creature's hand. He seemed to push it forward, and Cremia watched as it exploded and set the twigs ablaze. _He really is a demon god! Does he understand me?_ she wondered.

With a gentle nod of the head, Cremia placed the two fish over the fire to cook. She turned to the mysterious creature—demon in front of her. "Do… Do you understand me?"

A nod.

"Can you speak?"

Another nod.

"Can you speak our language?"

A shake of the head this time.

Cremia huffed out in exasperation. An idea suddenly came to her. "Well, at least we can tell each other our names." She placed a hand on her chest. "I'm Cremia." Her hand moved to the top of her sister's head. "And this is Romani, my sister."

"The Beast" looked at one of his hands, still stained from the blood of the human he had killed. Hesitantly, he raised it up and put it on his chest. He took a breath and spoke. "Voludihr."

* * *

 **So that's the end of the long first chapter. There will only be two more chapters as this is a short story. I hope you enjoyed this. There will be more to come, but I don't know when, so it might be a while.**

 **Please, rate and review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**It's been awhile, yes, I'll admit to that. However, during my away time from this story, I had hoped there would be more reviews. That is most unfortunate for me, but for you guys as well, because you might have to wait slightly longer for an update. However, the lack of reviews should not interfere with the quality of my work.**

 **Now, let us continue where we last left off, shall we?**

 **I do not own Zelda.**

* * *

Cremia tested the word on her tongue. "Voludihr." She looked at the demon god sitting across from her. At his nod, she smiled lightly, still cautious around the creature. "It's a bit of a mouthful, isn't it? Is it all right if I call you… Vol?"

Voludihr thought about it for a moment. Though, he didn't understand everything the delectable human female was speaking, he knew most of it. He tossed around the idea of shortening his name.. his title. It wasn't a bad change, and while his full name did have a sense of regal appeal, it reminded him too much of the very person that sent him to this plane of existence in the first place. Yes, it might do him some good if he were to experience some change.

Finally making up his mind, Voludihr nodded. The human female's smile brightened, making his heart skip a beat for a moment. He had… made her happy from that simple request, and it made him happy somehow. Voludihr could only wonder what strange thing this female was doing to him.

The smell of cooked fish met Voludihr's nose. It made his mouth salivate despite having just eaten. It had been ages since he last had a cooked meal. Watching as the human female, Cremia as she called herself, moved to remove the cooking fish, he couldn't help but notice how her arm trembled. Was she scared of him, or was there something else?

Her arm moved to her kin, a littermate, he presumed. "Romani," she whispered. "It's okay. We're in no danger. Vol won't hurt us. Will you, Vol?"

Voludihr was caught off guard by the sudden question, but he shook his head rapidly, tossing his dirty, white locks from side to side. Cremia's double, Romani, looked up at him with the same blue eyes her sister possessed. Unshed tears glistened at the corners, and Voludihr felt bad that he had been the cause of her unhappiness. After all, the child had done nothing to him… not like the humans who kept him caged.

Looking down at his blood stained hand, he quickly hid it behind his back as Romani followed his gaze. She didn't need to see that, and to avoid drawing further attention to himself, he motioned to the fish, telling the females to eat. They proceeded to do so.

Voludihr watched as the two females ate, their flat teeth grinding the cooked flesh of the fish into pieces they would be able to swallow. While his teeth, or most of them, were indeed flat, he was grateful to have sharp fangs to help him tear into his meals. No doubt it made eating much quicker. Cremia's tongue suddenly darted out from between her lips to lick up the juice that dribbled down her chin, the demon god's eyes following every move she made. He had watched other humans eat in a similar manner before, stuffing their mouths with food as the grease and juices collected over their cheeks, none of them bothering to clean themselves. The little human female in front of him, however, seemed almost embarrassed at how she openly cleaned herself.

"Sorry," she apologize. "How unsightly of me." Her cheeks flushed pink at her poor table manners, regardless of the lack of a table.

Icy eyes locked onto a stray scrap of fish stuck to the corner of Cremia's mouth, and without much thought put into the gesture, Voludihr swiped at the piece with his thumb before sticking it in his mouth. A groan of satisfaction erupted from his chest, though if it was from tasting the fish or the female's skin, he didn't know. Probably a bit of both.

Cremia's cheeks darkened even further, and she squeaked at the action. Her mouth opened and closed in uncertainty, very much looking like the fish she had just consumed. "Y-You…" she stuttered, the words not forming in her mind or in her mouth. _He licked it!_ her mind kept shouting. _He licked it!_

It was Romani that finally broke through the awkward silence. "Mister, Vol?" she spoke apprehensively. The demon god acknowledged her with a nod of his head. "What's that around your neck?" the girl continued.

Having caught the last part of the one-sided conversation, Cremia turned her gaze to Voludihr's neck. "Is that a collar?" she questioned aloud. Upon further inspection, the ranch girl confirmed that it was, indeed, a collar. "You poor man." Standing, Cremia made her way behind Voludihr, not catching how his shoulders tensed as she stood behind him. He knew she was not a threat, but it was strange to have someone behind him while not having to be on guard. It was practically unheard of.

Cremia ran her hands over Voludihr's muscular shoulders, her fingers grabbing at the clasp to the collar. She could clearly see the lightning runes scratched into the leather, now knowing some of what he had went through. With a sad sigh, she finally undid the infernal thing and tossed it to the side. "There," she said, moving back to her original place. "That's better."

Voludihr rubbed his neck, cringing at the raw skin that had festered and turned into sores. He nodded his appreciation to the female, a content purr-like noise rumbling from his chest. The feel of her hands on his skin continued to linger, and the demon god suddenly shivered. Voludihr couldn't help but to long for more contact from the female. It had been a very long time since he had a friendly touch placed upon him, and he couldn't deny the fact that Cremia was a very beautiful woman that appealed to both him and his inner beast. He was a typical male, after all, with typical male urges to say the least.

An idea came to him out of nowhere, a smile creeping a way onto his face. Voludihr would make the female his. She was perfect for him. While she was beautiful, Cremia was kind and strong as well. She would accept him in time, there was no doubt of this in Voludihr's mind, and she would be able to sire strong offspring.

Yes, she would be his before she even knew it.

* * *

The smile that had appeared on Voludihr was a little unnerving, and it made Cremia wonder just what he was thinking about. The apparent language barrier became that much more noticeable to the ranch girl. That would definitely be something to work on if she had to remain with this man.

The sound of her growling stomach, made her tense and flush in embarrassment. Despite having just eaten, she was still hungry. The day's events were the obvious culprit. Voludihr's head snapped in her direction, his icy gaze landing on her stomach. Without so much as a grumble, he motioned for her to remain in the cave before heading out once again.

 _Is he going to hunt for more food just because I'm hungry?_ she wondered. _Why would he go through that much trouble?_

Choosing not to dwell on the question for too long, Cremia chose to switch her focus to another. Convincing Voludihr to let her and her sister leave. It wouldn't be easy, that was for certain, as it appeared that Voludihr had claimed them almost as possessions. Would it even be possible to leave or would they be stuck with Voludihr?

She didn't have to wait long for her answer, for the demon god had returned with more fish skewered on sticks. He began to roast them on the still burning fire, a pleased look on his face. Cremia cleared her throat, her hand resting just over her heart. "Vol," she spoke up. "Romani and I… we have to leave." That pleased look faded into one of annoyance, a low growl escaping from the demon god. "Please, wait just a moment!" she interjected as Voludihr went to protest. "Romani and I have friends, loved ones waiting for us back home. We have a home. We have a life there. Do you really expect to keep us here?"

Another growl rippled from his chest. Cremia was right. If he wanted her to love him, he couldn't just take her away from everything she knew. No, if Voludihr was going to make this female his, he would have to do it on her terms. It wouldn't be easy, but no one said that easy was bad. After all, nothing is as rewarding as a challenge.

* * *

Cremia inhaled deeply, absorbing the smells of hay and sweet grass. She was home! Home at last! Turning to her younger sister, Cremia smiled brightly. "We're home, Romani!"

Her younger doppelganger smiled in returned, though hers was a bit more sheepish as she was still apprehensive towards the creature who had captured them and then brought them home all in one day. While she, like her older sister, understood the creature wasn't all bad, Romani had no idea what to think of him. Her eyes suddenly widened as she remembered the fortune teller's words from the previous day.

 _"I see a strange being. He is in pain and needs to be healed. His fate is intertwined tightly with your sister's. You'll be meeting him very soon… Now, remember, Romani, you have to look deep into people to see what they are really like. You can't judge someone from just their outward appearance."_

Could it be that this creature was whom the fortune teller was referring? Was he really in pain? Romani peeked up at Vol, as she was to call him, through her bangs. He certainly didn't seem to be in any pain, at least not physical. Then again, she had seen how he was treated in that cage. She had seen her sister remove the terrifying collar from the demon god's neck. Maybe his pain wasn't all physical. Could he be suffering from mental and emotional pain too? And why did Astrid say his fate was bound to Cremia's.

It was then decided by the small girl that she would give Vol a chance. She would heed Astrid's words and not judge Vol until she knew him properly. But she couldn't promise much else.

"Come on, Romani! We can't just sit around! We have to tend to the cows!"

Jolted by the unexpected voice, Romani blanched as she saw Cremia already at the top of the large hill where their house sat. How had she gotten there already, or was it that Romani had spaced out for longer than she originally thought? With a huff, the girl hurried on her way, thumbing the small book in her dress's pocket.

* * *

Voludihr wouldn't have expected that his female—he liked the sound of that—came from farm stock. While it wasn't expected, it was definitely appreciated. The girls appeared to live mostly on their own in a large field and their only neighbors were an older lady and bony boy who made their businesses with some sectioned off plots of land. The demon god figured they rarely made appearances anyway.

Yes, this place would suit him just fine. There was plenty of room for him to be himself. He didn't have to hide for the risk of being tortured. He was free here.

Taking long strides, Voludihr easily cleared the distance from the gate to the farmhouse before leaping up onto the roof. There he made himself comfortable and laid himself out on the shingles. The warm sunrays felt so nice on his body, and he couldn't think of anything better at the moment than to bask in the sun… and perhaps take a nap. However, his nap didn't last long. The sound of door opening and closing woke him, and Voludihr found himself leaning over the edge of the roof to see what was going on.

His female, Cremia, had come forth from her dwelling and was now approaching a somewhat rundown building with a thatched roof. _Barn_ , the demon god presumed. Cremia walked through a small door only to have her emerge out of a much larger one seconds later, a herd of cows and chickens trailing after her. Her slender hand ran over each cow's hide as they walked by her to mingle in the fields. She was touching them with such tender affection. _Animals… not for eating…_ Voludihr realized, though he still smacked his lips. He could only hope one of the older cows would kick the bucket so he could sample the tender meat.

Leaping down from his perch, Voludihr made his way over to the unsuspecting Cremia and wrapped his muscular arms around her. The woman gasped in surprise. "Vol, you scared me! You can't just sneak up—Good gravy your toned!" she exclaimed, her focus switching as the arms around her tightened.

Voludihr chuckled, enjoying the way his female reacted. She was quite amusing. Yes, Voludihr would most certainly never be bored of teasing this woman.

A smell most foul drifted on the air to Cremia's nose and it was coming from Voludihr. "Pew!" she exclaimed. "You stink worse than a skunk at a lawn party! When's the last time you hosed yourself down?" Getting no response from her companion, Cremia sighed. "No matter. We'll just get you up to the bath now."

Voludihr tensed. Out of all the words he knew in his female's tongue, that one was, by far, the worst. It was time to take the dreaded bath!

* * *

"Come… on, Vol! It's not… that bad!" Cremia grunted, pulling on the muscular torso of Voludihr. The ranch girl had gotten him as far as bathroom, put no matter how hard she tugged, she couldn't get the demon god into the washtub. "Come on! The water is going… to cool at this rate!"

It was only when Voludihr slipped did Cremia get him into the tub, but she went with him. "Agh!" Cremia shouted, water flying everywhere. She sat up, her arms spread wide as water poured off of her. "Great…" she grumbled, a frown stretching across her face. It quickly turned into a grin, however, when she glanced at her friend. Vol was soaked from head to toe and his hair looked more like a dirty mop than hair. "You should see yourself!" Cremia laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry! I'm being rude, but I can't help it!"

Vol grumbled, but he had to admit that he enjoyed her laughter. Although, if she thought he was a sight, she should see herself. Her hair was like liquid fire running down her back and her clothes clung to her like a second skin. In short, Cremia was quite enticing to him at this very moment.

"Well," she giggled still, "time to get down to work." Grabbing the soap, Cremia began lathering Voludihr's hair. She hummed as she worked, her fingers rubbing circles into his scalp. The demon god instantly relaxed, a purr springing from him, his head lulling to the side. How was it possible that just this simple motion could send him into a state of bliss? "Time to rinse!" Even when he was plunged backwards into the water, those fingers continued to work their way through his hair. Why weren't all baths like this?

Oh, wait. Voludihr knew exactly why. All of his baths before this had been him being hosed down by the elephants at the freak show.

Grabbing a scrubbing brush, Cremia lathered it too with soap and began scrubbing the content beast of a man…

Beast… It wasn't long ago, that Voludihr was called just that; a beast. But it wasn't used as fondly as she was thinking of it now. Cremia could only imagine how terribly her Voludihr was treated back at that freak show.

Her Voludihr? Where did that come from? There was no doubting that Cremia found her new friend extremely attractive. How could she not? The man was practically made of lean muscle and his markings were fascinating and accentuated his features very well. She just wanted to run her hands up his chest along the golden moon and triangle on his chest. A blush erupted across her face like a volcano at her less than decent thoughts.

Decent.

That reminded her, Voludihr needed more than just a loincloth. He need a pair of pants… maybe a shirt too… although.

Rinsing him off one last time, Cremia and the demon god climbed out of tub before drying off. "Wait here," she told him. "I've got to find you some clothes. Maybe some of father's will fit." She left the man to his own devices in her search. Heading outside, the ranch girl headed to the barn to bring out the chest with all her father's old stuff.

Before she could even reach the door, two voices were carried to her on the wind. "Cremia?!"

She looked up in confusion. "Anju? Kafei?"

* * *

 **Hmm, I wonder what her friends will have to say about her sudden reappearance. And what will happen when they meet Vol.**

 **Find out in the next chapter!**

 **Please, rate and review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**This will no longer only be three chapters. While the story will be much longer, it can still be considered a short story, though.**

 **I do not own Zelda.**

* * *

The young couple were more than surprised at their friend's reappearance. They had immediately feared the worst when the beast man from the freak show had snatched Cremia and Romani away. Tears began to well up in Anju's eyes as she flung herself at her best friend.

"Cremia! By the Gods! I-I never thought I'd see you again!" the inn keeper cried, burying her face in Cremia's bosom. She looked up, her eyes wide with uncertainty. "Where the hell were you?! How did you escape from that monster?! You're absolutely soaked too!"

The ranch girl's face twisted into confusion. In her haste to find Vol some clothes, Cremia had completely forgotten to get changed herself. And what was this about a monster? "Monster? What on earth are you speaking of? What monster?"

Kafei and Anju stared at their friend incredulously, unbelieving how easily she had forgotten about the very monster that had swooped both her and her sister away. The only answer had to be trauma. No one could forget being kidnapped unless it was so traumatic that the only way to protect oneself was to forget.

"You poor girl," the violet haired man sighed. "You've been through so much only to forget it all. How's Romani?"

Cremia still didn't understand what her friends were speaking of. The only person who did anything close to kidnapping her was Vol, but it couldn't be him Anju kept referring to… Could it? Was Voludihr this so called monster? Now that she thought about it, from a bystander's perspective Voludihr had very much looked like a monster with his muscular physique and his wild, unruly features. The war paint-like markings didn't help in the slightest either. And Vol had _technically_ kidnapped her.

Dragging a hand down her face at the sudden realization, the ranch girl sighed. She had a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

Voludihr smelled something new and strange, yet it was also familiar. But there were so many other things that he smelt that were both new but recognized as well. However, he could easily distinguish an object from the living not only by their smell, but their heartbeat as well. This new and strange thing was a person—no—two persons—strangers! And they were walking on his woman's territory, which by all rights were also his!

With a low growl, primal instincts coursing through him and telling him to defend, Vol leapt out of the open window, not at all concerned for his nudity. He landed in a tree positioned to the side of the window and began to assess his surroundings. Vol's icy eyes narrowed to that of slits as his gaze landed on two suspicious characters following his woman to what he remembered to be a _barn_. What were they doing here? Why was Cremia so at ease with them? Did she know them?

With the stealth of a shadow, Vol crept down the trunk of the tree and towards the barn. He watched the three enter the building and snuck in behind them, hiding himself among crates stashed away in the barn. Keeping his breathing low, Vol began to listen.

"Seriously, Cremia," the unknown female said. "Were you hurt by that monster?"

Vol felt panic rise in him at the thought of his woman being hurt by some monster. But she looked to be unhurt, so who was the monster the other female referred to? It couldn't be him… could it?

"No," Cremia answered. "And what you think is a monster isn't. He was just a scared man who was subjected to years of torture. He was just looking for safety."

A startled gasp came from the unknown female. "You speak as if you know that creature."

"I do. His name his Voludihr. And he comes from a time much different than now."

The way Cremia spoke of him, made Vol's heart flutter with a warm feeling. He had truly chosen a wonderful person to share a part of himself with. She was his light to balance out his darkness. She truly was the female for him.

The violet haired male approached the ranch girl, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Cremia, you're delusional… traumatized. We're taking you to the doctor."

A large growl ripped from Voludihr's throat, startling the occupants of the barn, before he leapt out at the male who dared to put hands on his female. Kafei only barely managed to jump away as the threatening form of Voludihr swiped at him with sharpened claws. Anju shrieked at the sight of her fiancé being attacked by the naked demon god.

Before he could take another chance at Kafei, Cremia filled Vol's vision and he instantly relaxed. "Vol!" she cried, her hands in front of chest, palms outward. "Stop, he's a friend! Friend!"

A confused expression crossed over the demon god's face. "Fa-Friend?" he murmured apprehensively. The word sounded familiar to him, yet he couldn't quite place where he had heard it from. Perhaps one of his captors had mentioned some time or another. Yes… that sounded right.

"Yes!" Cremia exclaimed, excited at her friend's recognition. She tried other words in hopes of peaking a spark in the demon god. "An ally! Pack!"

Those were words he recognized; ally and pack. His female must mean that she trusts the two strangers here. And now that he analyzed the situation further, the other redheaded female smelled strongly of the violet haired male. They must be mates… not competition.

Vol was shaken from his inner thoughts by the feeling of his female pushing him further into the barn away from the couple. "Let's cover you up, shall we?"

* * *

Cremia watched as Vol tugged on the pants now covering his muscled legs. _The probably feel weird since he's worn only a loincloth for so long,_ she deduced. _The under wrappings too, I imagine._

Pulling his long, white locks into a high ponytail, Cremia slapped away Vol's hands as he started to tug on the collar of his new shirt. She was lucky she actually found some clothes from her father's trunk that fit Vol. The last thing she needed was for him to stretch out the collar. With a sigh, she knelt down in front of him and unbuttoned the shirt a bit. Maybe he wouldn't pull at it now.

Her friends sat at the opposite side of the table, staring silently. No one had actually spoken for a good twenty minutes. It became most unnerving to everyone in the room. Even to Vol, who spent a majority of his time in silence. He just wanted his woman to speak… even if it was not to him.

"H-How was the wedding?" Cremia finally asked, breaking the long silence. Voludihr sighed in relief as her words drizzled across his mind like honey.

Anju pursed her lips as if offended. "We haven't had it yet," she exhaled.

Cremia's eyes widened in disbelief. "Y-You haven't? Why? Did something happen?"

Kafei stood up from his seat to yell at his dense friend, only to sit back down at the demon god's glare. "You happened," he stated simply, letting his rage deflate. "You vanished because of him." He motioned to Vol with a nod of his head before continuing. "We argued on what to do at your disappearance. The only thing we could agree on was that we needed to find you."

Slumping forward, the ranch girl sighed sadly. "So I'm the reason you didn't marry yet."

"Not entirely," Anju argued. "We fought like cats and dogs, and we got so mad at each other that we began to wonder if we could even work out our differences at all. What would our marriage life have been like if we couldn't? Aside from you disappearing, we decided to wait a little longer to see if we could work on our problems and patch ourselves up before ruining something that may not even get the chance to start."

"I see."

The room grew silent as the sound of footsteps resonated from upstairs. They came running down into the main room, the owner of the feet having been Romani. "What's going on?" the girl asked.

Cremia faced her sister, a gentle smile on her face. "It's nothing Romani. We're just having a friendly discussion."

The little look-alike scowled and turned away from her sister. "Didn't sound very friendly to me," she grumbled, retreating back upstairs. Romani returned to her and Cremia's room, flopping down onto the smaller bed in the room. She reached under her pillow and pulled out the book Astrid had given her.

 _The Legend of the Forgotten Gods._

Romani could only wonder what it was that Astrid wanted her to discover.

* * *

Cremia waved at the young couple as they left her home, walking down the long path to the ranch gates. She sighed as they disappeared over the hillside and turned to head back inside the small house.

Vol was still sitting at the table when she returned inside. He looked at Cremia with eyes filled with intrigue and mischief. He couldn't help but admire the woman's loyalty to her friends. It filled Vol with pride to know that he had chosen a female of such character.

Wanting filled Vol's very being. He wanted to show Cremia who he was. He wanted to show her how he saw her. He just wanted her.

Standing up, the demon god approached the fiery woman with a confident stride. She watched as he drew closer and closer until they were barely inches away. Vol stared down at her with icy eyes, yet they seemed warm and kind. He brought his hand to her cheek, stroking it gently with his clawed thumb, a content rumble emanating from his chest.

Cremia placed a small hand on top of Vol's, removing it from her face and patting it lightly. "You must be tired. You can stay in my parent's old room. Come," she said, pulling him along, still holding his hand.

He enjoyed the warmth that seeped through the woman's hand, but he wondered why Cremia had rejected his advances. Was there a problem? Maybe she didn't understand his intentions. Could that be the case? Should he make his advances more aggressive, or perhaps just more direct?

Question after question ran through Voludihr's head as he came up with more and more reasons his advances were being ignored. He needed a new plan if he planned to make this woman his. First thing was first though, he needed to sleep.

Arriving at a door on the second floor, Cremia pushed her way in, darkness meeting them. She reached into her skirts' pockets and pulled out a box of matches that she always kept with her. Instinctually, Cremia moved to where she knew a candle would be sitting on the dresser directly to the left of the doorway. She struck a match and the wick of the candle ignited, casting a soft glow throughout the room. The same was done to two other candles by the bed.

"Sorry the room isn't neater. I haven't had the chance to clean it since… since… well, last year."

Vol could hear the sadness surrounding her words. What had happened here to make her so depressed?

Cremia walked to the bed and began stripping the sheets off, throwing them to the floor. She left the room only to return moments later with fresh linens. Cremia remade the bed before taking the comforter out in the hall to shake out. Dust flew out of the comforter's folds in pounds and once most had left the material, she returned it to the bed, sighing sadly.

"I'll clean out the room tomorrow, but it will have to do for now. I'm sorry," she said in a near whisper.

The demon god clapped Cremia's shoulder before moving to the bed. He sat down in the fresh sheets, nearly sighing at the gentle texture rubbing against his skin. True, it wasn't as fine as silk, but the cotton sheets brought him comfort that he hadn't had in a long time. He was grateful to Cremia for bringing this comfort back to him.

Said girl stared at Vol, watching as he enjoyed the feeling of the bed. The thought that he wouldn't know how to work the buttons of his shirt occurred and she moved to help. Her nimble fingers brushing against the skin on his chest as she worked with the buttons surprised Vol. Did this mean she was actually accepting his advances?

 _No,_ he realized. She was merely assisting him with the shirt. It was a good thing, he supposed. He had never worked with these _buttons_ prior, having only worked with ties. He would have shredded the shirt if he couldn't have removed it… and he doubted that Cremia would have appreciated the ruined shirt.

When the ranch girl had removed the shirt and had pulled the tie from his hair, Vol lay back in the bed, staring up at her. She rubbed his forehead softly, her hand moving back to brush into his hair. "Sleep well," Cremia said softly. As if she was almost hesitating, questioning her next move, Cremia bent over and brushed her lips against Vol's forehead in a ghost-like kiss. She retreated from the room, closing the door behind her, leaving Vol alone in the candlelit room.

* * *

He couldn't sleep… not after what had nearly happened. When his female—he was still bound and determined to make Cremia his—had placed her mouth upon his head ever so softly, he had nearly lost it with maddening desire. The urge to take her into his arms and make her his life mate was strong. He had only held on by the skin of his teeth, gouge marks from his claws in his hands serving has the proof of his struggle. And he would not take his life mate forcefully… not only was it frowned upon by his kind, but he was not that kind of man.

Breathing out deeply, Vol blew a strand of hair from his eyes as he listened to the same woman who caused his struggle just outside his door. He could hear a sweeping sound on the other side of the door. Was she cleaning the dust up?

The sweeping sound stopped almost as quickly as it started, and when the light in the hall went out, Voludihr knew Cremia had finally went to bed. He sighed heavily, restless. Vol lay in the bed for what seemed like hours, unable to drift off into dreamland. At the moment, he wasn't quite sure he wanted to go to sleep. Who knew what he would see behind closed eyelids?

The sound of the bedroom door opening made Vol's long, pointed ears twitch with awareness. Despite his sudden nervousness, he lay still in the bed, not wanting to alert whoever was in the room that he was awake. Soft footfalls met his ears, the suspense growing. Vol could wait no longer.

Opening his eyes and sitting up in the bed, Vol was surprised to see the tinier female at the foot of his bed. _Romani_ , his brain supplied. He faced the girl and grunted, the sound carrying his confusion.

The little girl gripped a stuffed bear in her right hand, the left picking at the skin on her lips. "Romani had… uh… had a bad dream," she explained, unsure if the demon god even knew what she was speaking of. "Didn't want to wake up Cremia."

He didn't know what the girl was saying, but he could hear the fear in her voice and see the worry in her ever-darting eyes. Vol wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do, but he could remember curling up with the animals at the show when cold and—to a lesser extent—curling up with someone, maybe his mother, when he was scared as a child. Holding up the blankets, Voludihr motioned for the girl to enter.

A large grin spread across the young ranch girl's face and she practically dove under the blankets. Romani pulled herself up parallel with Vol and smiled up at him as he tucked the blankets around her. He lay back down to rest, surprised to feel a tiny arm wrapping around his bicep. Looking down at the girl, he couldn't help but smile at her. He found it strange that she was starting to take a liking to him, but it wasn't unwanted. It was a nice feeling: being liked instead of hated.

Romani's entrance had brought an issue to Voludihr's mind as well. There was an obvious and painful language barrier that he would have to overcome if he wished to connect with his female, and he would overcome it. Vol was certain of that.

He had already picked up words over the years from the freak show and the people he had only met recently. That gave him a small leg up, but not much. There were a multitude of ways the knowledge of the rest of this world's speech could be attained. He could study diligently, but he was uncertain of how much time he had to win the heart of Cremia. Vol didn't want to lose Cremia to another male. That left only one other option. Voludihr would have to extract the knowledge from someone through their blood.

A gentle snore brought Vol back from his plans. He looked down at Romani with gentle eyes. The little girl was starting to grow on him. Things were going well for him so far… and he hoped that didn't change.

* * *

Excerpt from _The Legend of the Forgotten Gods:_

Long ago, when the world was new, there existed two gods. One was born of the sun, her power only rivaled by that of her personality. And the other was born of the moon; his ways mysterious yet sincere. Though they were polar opposites, the two were madly in love.

The two, with their intense love, created the vast land of Termina with the help of four minor gods. The people of this newly formed land loved and cherished their benevolent gods and all that they had done. They began to honor their beloved gods, both major and minor, with temples spread across the land and with an annual festival that retold the creation of Termina.

However, centuries began to pass and the people of Termina began to lose their faith in the gods. Only the four minor gods of the four corners were ever seen in the land, and thus the very gods that had crafted Termina were forgotten.

The sun goddess Majora grew angry at the mortals' forgetfulness, and as punishment, her scorching heat charred the small kingdom of Ikana. The goddess's punishment and the kingdom's own war with another land, were too much for the Ikana citizens. In their rage, the people of Ikana began to openly mock their patron goddess as well as the golden three, desecrating Majora's temple before they finally died out, their spirits cursed to never rest.

Majora flew into a rage that could not be staunched. She took upon a human form and began destroying the land with her furious power. The Gods of the Four Corners were powerless to stop the rampaging goddess, but they did all that they could to protect the land and the people with it. And the golden goddess were currently absent from seemingly all of history. But only one person could hope to truly defeat the goddess. Her lover, the God of the Moon.

The God of the Moon, whose name has been lost through time, was at ends with himself. He knew he had to stop Majora, but he still harbored feelings for the goddess. He himself was not angry at the mortals, for he knew nothing truly ever lasted. He knew that it was time for change. So he met Majora on the battlefield, his beast-like abilities and his power on par to that of the goddess's.

The battle lasted for nearly a decade and the land in which they fought became a desolate wasteland. Both gods' powers were spent, but it was clear that the God of the Moon had the upper hand due to his superior skills in battle and strategy. Using the last of his energies, the God of the Moon cast his once love back into the heavenly plain, trapping her there for however long his seal would last, and healed the land with his gentle light.

The god was no longer that of which he was born. He was now nearly mortal, a mere deity, and spent eternity wandering the lands of Termina. They deity's current location, if he were to exist at all, is still unknown to this day, for he is forgotten.

* * *

 **All right, that wraps up that chapter.**

 **A review peaked my interest. This was originally going to be a complete AU with no relation to the actual events in Majora's Mask, but, thanks to that review, I realized with the way the story is progressing, it could actually be considered in line with the events despite the added characters from other games.**

 **So now, I think I will attempt to make everything seem like it is cannon, though I will reference to the MM manga eventually.**

 **Also, I used part of Macintyre's theory of the Fierce Deity and Majora as part of the book excerpt and the original theory, in no way, belongs to me.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter and are eager for the next.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Been awhile, hasn't it? I have a lot of stories going right now too. Like I've said before, this story will be finished, though the updating is definitely not on a schedule.**

 **With that reminder, please enjoy this chapter of a game I do not own.**

* * *

The creature walked through the woods, a faint limp in his step. Vol had watched the village children hurl stones at the small creature only moments before. The little creature had taken their hits in stride, only crying once the children left.

Vol had followed the small creature to where he had made a temporary home in a hollowed out tree. Two small orbs of light were curled up beside him, trying their best to warm the creature and ease the shivers that wracked his body. _Fairies,_ Vol deduced.

The three were deep in sleep and Vol knew that now was his chance. He crept up to the sleeping forms and gazed down at the creature. Though its face had a woody, straw like appearance, physiology had once again proved that everyone was basically the same by the blood smeared on the side of its cheeks, trailing over an orange bill-like nose. With a clawed thumb, Vol gently rubbed the dripping wound made from the stones and brought it to his mouth, swiping over the essence with his tongue.

No, this blood would never do. While the creature was of this world, he knew little of it. His essence was that of a mere child's and could not serve as the knowledge needed for Vol to strive in this world. It also remained that this _was_ , in fact, a child at some point. Vol would not deprive the world of an innocent life that had met an already tragic fate.

Still… while the blood had not served as a source of knowledge, it did cause a playful urge to arise within Vol, a wicked grin stretching over his face. Oh, yes. This creature new how to have fun at least.

Looking off to the horizon, the sun was slowly beginning to rise. Voludihr knew that he would have to return to the ranch with his mission fruitless. He would continue to search for a soul with knowledge in a few days' time, but for now he would enjoy his time with his woman.

* * *

A soft hum played at Cremia's lips as she prepared what would be today's breakfast. Her heart felt light despite the gloomy weather. Maybe it was the fact that late last night she found Romani sleeping in Vol's bed, having curled up with the demon god after a nightmare. At first, it pained her that her own sister didn't come to her. However, upon seeing their sleeping faces, calm and serene, a grin broke out on hers.

At the thought of the demon god, Cremia looked up towards the stairs. Vol had disappeared early this morning, his clothes from the day before still on the floor. Cremia could only wonder what needed to be done so early. She hoped that he hadn't gone after any of the carnies that might still be in town.

As if in answer, the front door suddenly opened, closing with a click. Vol sauntered into the kitchen, his nose to the air as he smelled the bread in the oven and the porridge on the stove. He made a hum of appreciation and his stomach let out a ready rumble. He sat down at the table.

Cremia smiled calmly. "I'm glad to see your eager to eat," she said. "We're just waiting for the bread to finish baking. Why don't you go wake Romani? She's in your bed after all."

Vol recognized the name coming from his female's lips. She was speaking of her littermate; her sister. Perhaps he was to go fetch her for the morning's meal? Rising from the table, Vol went to do just that. He climbed the steps to the second floor and entered the room he had occupied the night before, having been the last place he had seen the girl. Romani was laying on his bed, feet swaying behind her in the air as she read a small book. Curious, Vol went in for a closer look.

Romani beamed at him as he approached. "Morning!" she cheered. The demon god grunted a response. "Sister sent you, then? Does that mean breakfast is ready?"

 _Breakfast…_ That sounded right. That's what he remembered the other humans calling the morning meal. Vol nodded, hoping that he was correct.

The girl's face brightened, and she abandoned her book without a second thought, barreling down the stairs. Her absence gave the demon god a chance to gaze at what the girl had been reading. A sneer suddenly stretched over Vol's lips as he peered down on the page. He immediately snapped the book shut and headed downstairs, hoping to never again see those glowing orangey-green eyes.

* * *

The meal had been quite good, in the deity's opinion. They had delved into the fresh bread with gusto, sopping up the juices from the bacon on his plate. The simmered fruit was wonderfully fresh and the milk provided from the cows was just enough to wash everything down.

Vol liked his lips at the remembrance of the meal. He had not eaten like that in quite some time, yesterday having been the exception. It pleased him greatly to know that he would never tire of his woman's delightful cooking.

The sound of twanging string met his ears, and they rose in attention. Heading outside of the house, Vol caught sight of Romani pulling back a child's bow. It appeared that she was having target practice, floating objects in the sky her targets. With a confused look, Vol approached the hovering thing, watching as it blew back and forth in the breeze. He poked it, finding the material to be very rubbery when it suddenly exploded into pieces right before him, having popped on his claw. The loud sound rung in his ears, and Vol quickly took a fighting stance, now tense and wary. He stared at the other rubber contraptions, daring them to even move towards him.

Romani laughed gleefully, wrapping her tiny arms around Vol's legs. "It's okay!" she cheered. "They're balloons! They pop all the time, but won't hurt anyone."

"O…kay?" Vol rasped.

The little girl squealed excitedly. "You spoke! You spoke! You spoke!" She turned to the house and run inside. "Sister, Vol spoke!" she screamed.

Said deity could only shake his head in amusement. He was having more and more fun and loved his mate's family with all his heart.

* * *

The sky was dark overhead, the new moon at play tonight. It gave him the perfect cover to search for a soul. He would remain undetected and he would acquire the knowledge necessary to interact with Cremia. The thought of her sent fire through Vol. She was extremely happy to hear that he could speak a few words of her language at all. It was all thanks to that creature from before and—regrettably—the humans who had captured him speaking all the damn time.

With careful steps, Vol stalked a tall and skinny man, a huge pack on his back. He was a merchant, a trader, and surely he would have vast knowledge about the world. He should have seen much of it in his travels… or at least Vol hoped he had.

The man set down his pack with a huff, plopping himself down on stump with a huff. He proceeded to light a fire, the glow making his hair of scarlet stand out that much more. Wiping his brow, the man began to eat the provisions from his pack. He made a fair amount of noise too. This was Vol's chance.

Creeping up to the campsite, Vol sent a silent plea to his brothers and sisters above that he would not kill this man, that he would be able to stop. While he had no desire to turn cannibalistic, Vol couldn't deny the affinity he had for blood. There was just something about the coppery liquid that had his gums and fangs aching with want.

If the man did survive, he would not leave empty handed. With the devouring of blood, the two would exchange information, whether the other would want it or not. It was an equal exchange; one's knowledge for another. Vol would obtain knowledge on the current world and its secrets, languages, cultures, and other contributes; the man would obtain knowledge not normally seen by mortals. He would suddenly know things that could change his very life. It was more than a fair exchange. Vol just hoped he wouldn't come to regret it.

Wasting no further time, Vol pounced on the merchant, silencing his cries of terror by plunging his fangs into his neck. The once demon-god winced for the man, knowing the pain of another's fangs. While the bite could be very pleasurable, most didn't bother, finding it a pain to inject the serotonin and endorphins into someone who usually died in the end.

The man's memories suddenly flooded Vol, sending his brain into a frenzy as it tried to process everything that it could. He received more knowledge than he could ever want, and yet… something was not right with this man. Memories of this man's heritage swirled about revealing a dark secret that Vol had prayed would not exist. This man was a follower of the lost Sun Goddess, a wicked and cruel being. While she represented the light, her powers were anything but, having delved deeply into evil and malicious magic. Her image, with her yellowy-green eyes tormented Vol from within, her sharp laughter piercing his fragile mind.

The flood of information soon stopped, but Vol could not stop his trade off. Soon this man… this member of the dark tribe would know everything he did. He would know the existence of Majora.

Against his better judgement, the deity let the man live, the blank stares of the masks on the merchants pack adjudicating him for it. Despite all that he had witnessed, Vol sensed that this man would play a role in the future that was bigger than he would ever truly know.

* * *

Morning had come quickly, and Cremia rose with the sun, determined to get a head start on today's work. Before leaving this house, she had peered inside her newest tenant's room. Cremia was pleased to see him sound asleep, curled up against one of the pillows. With a smile, she headed for the barn.

When the door to the barn opened, the cows greeted their caretaker with friendly moos. One of them, however, sounded strained. It was one of the older bovines, a female called Tallulah. She was one of the oldest cows on the ranch, having borne has many as five calves. Well past her prime, Tallulah could no longer bear any young; and a cow that could bear no young couldn't produce milk. It was time to let this one go before anything bad happened to her because of her age.

With a sad, shuddering sigh, Cremia let the cattle out into the pasture before heading down the trail to the ranch gates. She was lucky enough to arrive just as the postman did. "Good morning, ma'am," the deliverer said. "Fine day."

The ranch girl nodded. "I suppose, though I do have unfortunate news. If you meet him on your route today, would you tell the town butcher that I have a cow here I need to be put down, sadly?"

The postman saluted. "It would be my sad pleasure, ma'am."

Cremia smiled before handing him a yellow rupee. "Thank you again."

"Onward to mail!"

Returning to the house, Cremia set to work. She still had to milk the cows, weed the garden, and pick up and replace the hay. To her surprise, it appeared as she would have some help. Romani stood beside a crouched Vol as she showed him how to milk the cows. The solution sprayed into the bucket, only to be replaced once it was full. "And that's all there is to it. Make sure you milk only the cows with utters. Those are females. The ones that don't are males. Romani only made that mistake once," she said, rubbing at the phantom pain at her rear end.

Cremia stifled her quiet giggles, but Vol let out a full belly laugh. The sound was a loud and joyful, a lilt to its tone. Cremia couldn't help but marvel and blush at the sound and sight of the cheerful Vol. He seemed a bit different than yesterday.

Speaking of the man himself, Vol turned his head towards Cremia and smiled softly. His face took on a honey glow, the curve of his lips gentle and slightly parted. The rancher's face heated up more. Surely she was redder than a tomato. It was then that Cremia knew what the change in Vol was.

"Good morning, Cremia, my love."

She fainted.

* * *

To say he expected the meek, but fiery beauty to react that way would make Vol a liar. She had been so pleased at his few words yesterday that he expected Cremia to leap for joy. He had practiced his speech for a majority of the night, driven to get everything right. He loved the way, the language rolled off of his tongue like it truly belonged. He finally had a connection with his woman.

Or so he thought.

Vol rushed over the unconscious girl, easing her into his arms. She was warm to the touch, but Vol didn't smell any sickness on her. What was wrong?

Romani chortled. "You surprised her," she explained. "Her blood must have stilled quickly before dropping to her feet. She'll be okay soon."

Staring at the one he loved with worry in his icy eyes, Vol turned to her sister and his future sister-in-law. "What should I do?" he asked, still not used to the sound of his own voice.

The little girl shrugged nonchalantly. "Bring her to her room. She'll wake up in a good couple of minutes. Until then, Romani is going to continue with the chores."

With a nod, the deity headed for the house and up the stairs. Upon entering the girls' room, he froze in his track. Smells of all kinds swarmed him. It was too difficult to place any name with the smells. It was heavenly.

Placing Cremia upon her bed, Vol sat on the floor beside it. He wanted to roll around in the blankets, covering himself in Cremia's scent. He wanted to bathe in it. Taking a deep breath into the quilt, Vol shuddered. "You're going to be the death of me."

* * *

Cremia awoke a couple hours later, no worse for the wear, but more than a little confused. She sat on the bed, twiddling her thumbs, staring down at her lap. "How is this possible?" she asked. "You could barely speak yesterday. And now you're speaking like a Terminian romantic poet."

Vol took Cremia's hand in his, planting his lips on the top of it. "Is that a bad thing?" he asked curiously, tempting the redhead before him.

She drew back her hand, holding it close to her chest. "Yes," Cremia replied earnestly. "No… I'm not sure. I do know that it makes you extremely dangerous." To further prove her point, Cremia's heartrate sped up, pounding loudly in both hers and Voludihr's ears.

The deity smiled, pleased at the thump-thump sound, and how his presence affected her. Vol wanted to affect the woman more. Inching closer to Cremia, Vol began to purposely loom over her. Grasping her hands once again, he spoke softly. "Does that scare you?" Vol inquired. "Does the fact that you now find me dangerous make you wary of me?"

Unable to take the pressure any longer, Cremia let her body go limp, collapsing onto the broad shoulder positioned in front of her. "Yes," she admitted. "But you've always frightened me. Not in the way you've come to expect, but in the ways in which you influence me."

"Is that a bad thing?" Vol pressed.

Cremia shook her head against Vol's shoulder. "I don't rightly know." Removing herself from his shoulder, Cremia stared up at the deity's face, tracing his markings with her baby blues. "Vol, I've been meaning to ask you this, but what are your plans for me. I highly doubt you would stay with someone for so long without any personal gain."

Vol smiled. "You know very little, yet so much at the same time." Pressing his forehead against hers, Vol breathed out deeply. Cremia noted the smell of sandalwood and mint flowing from him. "I plan to make you mine, Cremia."

The ranch girl trembled at Vol's words. They were so direct, so primitive, so… "I d-don't know what to say."

"I do." The deity took his clawed thumb and stroked Cremia's face softly. "I knew you were meant for me the moment I saw and scented you. You were so beautiful, with hair like fire and fierce, defiant eyes full of determination. The way you stood, proud in protection of your sister, showed me just how loyal you were. And Cremia, believe me when I say that there's so much more about you that makes me want you with every fiber of my being. You are the most perfect person I could ever want to share my life with." Vol bent down and kissed the top of her head gently, careful to avoid pricking Cremia with his fangs. "And with that said, I'll wait for you. No matter how long it takes."

She didn't know when it started, but when she felt the tears drip down her face, Cremia couldn't stop. A torrential flood poured from her eyes as she buried her face into Vol's chest. "It's just… just so much," she admitted.

"I know."

"You'll truly wait for my decision?"

"Until the end of time."

"Thank you, Vol. Thank you."

* * *

Romani glanced around the door frame to spy on her sister and Vol. An excited smile stretched across her lips, joy blooming from within. Despite the tears on Cremia's face, Romani had never seen her sister so happy. Vol had made her that way.

Running to the living room, the little doppelganger pulled out _The Legend of the Forgotten Gods_ from the bookshelf. She promptly threw the leather-bound book into the garbage. It had been wrong, after all. Her sister was happy; Vol was happy… and alive. There was nothing to worry about now.

* * *

Excerpt from the final chapter of _The Legend of the Forgotten Gods:_

Beware to all who exist in the time when the gods reemerge from the forgotten shadows. For when these gods do battle yet again, the world shall undoubtedly meet an untimely end. Mass destruction on a cataclysmic scale will annihilate everything in existence, derived from the green-eyed beast known as jealousy. Only when one of great power makes the ultimate sacrifice, will the world survive, but at what cost?

* * *

 **Dun, Dun, DUUUN!**

 **Anyway, we're now entering the climax of the story. It is here where it gets interesting.**

 **To anyone who hasn't played breath of the wild yet, I highly recommend you do. It is a thrill!**

 **Rate and review!**


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